The exact location and identity of the wreckage of the cargo vessel Tuğberk İmamoğlu, which sank following a collision with the Turkish-flagged ship ALSU off the coast of Silivri in the Marmara Sea on September 2, have been definitively verified.
Sea-news.az reports this, citing information from Haber Global.
According to the reports, the wreckage was located at a depth of 720 meters, approximately 50 meters away from the initial collision site.
To confirm conclusively that the remains belonged to the Tuğberk İmamoğlu, a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) was deployed to the site. Underwater footage captured by the ROV clearly revealed the name “Tuğberk İmamoğlu” inscribed on the hull wreckage, thus verifying the earlier sonar scan findings.
The Turkish Naval Forces’ rescue and support ship TCG Akın has been operating in the area since the first day of the disaster.
Meanwhile, search and rescue operations continue for the 10-member crew of the Tuğberk İmamoğlu, whose fate remains unknown following the loss of communication after the midnight collision.
As part of the criminal investigation launched by the Silivri Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in Istanbul, legal proceedings are advancing against the crew of the ALSU. Out of its 10-person crew (excluding the ship’s cook), 9 members were questioned as suspects. Following court hearings, the first and third captains of the ALSU were remanded into custody pending trial, while judicial control measures were imposed on four other crew members.
Both the comprehensive investigation into the causes of the collision and the search operations for the missing crew members are currently ongoing.
